Braided Article of Headgear and Method of Making

ABSTRACT

A braided article of headgear and a hat form are disclosed. In one embodiment, the hat form has a double crown portion and a double bill portion. The braided article comprises a braided construction with at least one strand that extends continuously from a right portion of the crown to a left portion of the crown. The braided article may include a single layer or a double layer construction comprising an inner braid layer and an outer braid layer.

BACKGROUND

The present embodiments relate generally to articles, and in particularto articles of headgear that incorporate braided components.

Articles of headgear may include hats, helmets and other kinds ofheadgear. Hats may generally a crown and a brim. The crown generallyfits on a user's head and the brim extends out away from the crown. Insome cases, the brim extends forward as a visor. Hats can also includedecorations, such as embroidered designs with team logos or otherindicia.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, an article of headgear having a crown ischaracterized by having a coronal plane, a transverse plane, and asagittal plane. The crown has an interior void sized and configured toreceive a wearer's head; the crown includes a front portion disposedgenerally forward of the coronal plane and a rear portion disposedopposite the front portion. The rear portion disposed generally rearwardof the coronal plane. The crown includes a left side portion disposed onone side of the sagittal plane, and a right side portion disposedopposite the left side portion, on the other side of the sagittal plane.The crown includes a braided construction with at least one strand. Thestrand extends continuously from the left side portion to the right sideportion.

In another embodiment, a hat form used to create an article of headgearincludes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherethe first side is integrally formed with the second side. The first sideincludes a first crown portion. The second side includes a second crownportion. The first crown portion generally aligns with the second crownportion, thereby forming a double-hat form. The hat form is configuredto be fed into a braiding machine and receive an overbraided matrix ofstrands on its outer surface.

In another embodiment, an article of headgear has a crown, the crownhaving coronal plane, a transverse plane and a sagittal plane. The crownincludes an interior void sized and configured to receive a wearer'shead. The crown includes a front portion disposed generally forward ofthe coronal plane and a rear portion disposed opposite the frontportion, the rear portion disposed generally rearward of the coronalplane. The crown includes a left side portion disposed on one side ofthe sagittal plane, and a right side portion disposed opposite the leftside portion, on the other side of the sagittal plane. The crownincludes an inner braid layer and an outer braid layer.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the embodiments willbe, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following figures and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description and this summary, bewithin the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the followingclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a hat form and a braidingmachine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a hat form and severalsupplementary structures;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a hat form withseveral supplementary structures;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a step in a method ofmaking an article of headgear;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of another step in a methodof making an article of headgear;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an embodiment of another step in a methodof making an article of headgear;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an embodiment of another step in a methodof making an article of headgear;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a process for forming anarticle of headgear with different density regions;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a process forapplying braided strands to a hat form;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a step in a method ofmaking a double-layered article of headgear;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of an embodiment of another step in a methodof making a double-layered article of headgear;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an embodiment of another step in a methodof making a double-layered article of headgear;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a hat form and abraiding machine, in which the hat form includes a double under billportion;

FIG. 14 is a top schematic view of an embodiment of a braidedconstruction in the form of a hat with an over peak bill portion and anunder peak bill portion;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a step of forming anarticle of headgear;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of an embodiment of another step of formingan article of headgear;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an article of headgearcomprising of a braided construction; and

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of the article of headgear of FIG. 17, inwhich multiple continuous strands are explicitly highlighted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying figures that form a part hereof wherein like numeralsdesignate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way ofillustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understoodthat other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description.Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalentsmay be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the presentdisclosure. It should be noted that any discussion herein regarding “oneembodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” and the likeindicates that the embodiment described may include a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic that may not necessarily beincluded in every embodiment. In addition, references to the foregoingdo not necessarily comprise a reference to the same embodiment. Finally,irrespective of whether it is explicitly described, one of ordinaryskill in the art would readily appreciate that each of the particularfeatures, structure, or characteristics of the given embodiments may beutilized in connection or combination with those of any other embodimentdiscussed herein.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions oroperations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understandingthe claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should notbe construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily orderdependent. Operations described may be performed in a different orderthan the described embodiment. Various additional operations may beperformed and/or described operations may be omitted in additionalembodiments.

For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B”means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the presentdisclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B),(A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C).

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as usedwith respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

As used herein, the term “article” refers broadly to articles offootwear, articles of apparel (e.g., clothing), as well as accessoriesand/or equipment. Articles of footwear include, but are not limited to,hiking boots, soccer shoes, football shoes, sneakers, running shoes,cross-training shoes, rugby shoes, basketball shoes, baseball shoes aswell as other kinds of shoes. Moreover, in some embodiments, componentsmay be configured for various kinds of non-sports-related footwear,including, but not limited to, slippers, sandals, high-heeled footwear,loafers as well as any other kinds of footwear. Articles of apparelinclude, but are not limited to, socks, pants, shorts, shirts, sweaters,undergarments, hats, gloves, as well as other kinds of garments.Accessories include scarves, bags, purses, backpacks, as well as otheraccessories. Equipment may include various kinds of sporting equipmentincluding, but not limited to, bats, balls, various sporting gloves(e.g., baseball mitts, football gloves, ski gloves, etc.), golf clubs,as well as other kinds of sporting equipment. In some embodimentsdiscussed below, an article is an article of headgear configured to beworn on a wearer's head.

To assist and clarify the subsequent description of various embodiments,various terms are defined herein. Unless otherwise indicated, thefollowing definitions apply throughout this specification (including theclaims). For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives areemployed throughout this detailed description corresponding to theillustrated embodiments.

The term sagittal plane or median plane (longitudinal, anteroposterior),as used throughout the detailed description and in the claims refers toa plane parallel to the sagittal suture. It divides the body into leftand right. The term coronal plane or frontal plane (vertical), as usedthroughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a planedividing the body into dorsal and ventral (back and front, or posteriorand anterior) portions. Furthermore, the term transverse plane (alsocalled the horizontal plane, axial plane, or transaxial plane) as usedthroughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to is aplane that divides the body into superior and inferior parts. It isperpendicular to the coronal plane and sagittal plane.

In some embodiments, hats and forms for hats are disclosed. A hatgenerally has a crown (or crown portion) and a brim (or brim portion).The crown generally fits on a user's head and the brim extends out awayfrom the crown. In some cases, the brim extends forward as a visor.Correspondingly, a hat form may also have a crown portion and a brimportion, which are the portions of the form used to create the crown andbrim of a manufactured hat.

In some embodiments, hats may include additional components, such as asweat band. A sweat band may be disposed on an inner surface of thecrown, or alternatively, between two or more layers of a multilayeredcrown. In other cases, a hat may not include a sweat band. In someembodiments, hats could include a bill-reinforcing element. Such areinforcing element may be disposed on an inner surface of the bill, onan outer surface of the bill or between two or more layers.

As used herein, a hat may comprise one or more “sides” or opposingportions. For example, the crown may comprise a front portion disposedgenerally forward of the coronal plane and a rear portion disposedopposite the front portion. The rear portion may be generally disposedrearward of the coronal plane. In some cases, the front portion facestoward the brim. The crown may also comprise a left side portiondisposed on one side of the sagittal plane, and a right side portiondisposed opposite the left side portion, on the other side of thesagittal plane.

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a braiding machine and a hat form.Braiding machine 102 includes a plurality of spools that include strandsor threads. The spools pass by one another along a track such thatplurality of strands 104 intertwine and twist with one another. Thistwisting and intermeshing of plurality of strands 104 forms a braidedstructure (i.e., a structure having a braided construction). Althoughdepicted as a radial braiding machine, it should be recognized that anaxial braiding machine or other type of braiding machine may beutilized. Further, the braiding machine may also be configured toperform jacquard and non-jacquard motions. An example of a braidingmachine is described in Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,571, grantedNov. 2, 1993, entitled “Maypole Braider Having a Three Under and ThreeOver Braiding Path,” the entirety of which is hereby incorporated byreference. Additionally, another example of a braiding machine isdescribed in Dow et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,956, granted Mar. 22, 2011,entitled “Machine for Alternating Tubular and Flat Braid Sections,” theentirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. An example thatincludes a former that is passed through a braiding machine is describedin Dodge et al., U.S. Pat. No. 376,372, granted Jan. 10, 1888, entitled“Manufacture of Woolen Boots,” the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

Braiding machine 102 may be utilized to overbraid an object. “Overbraid”as used herein shall refer to a method of braiding that forms the shapeof a three-dimensional structure. An object or structure that isoverbraided includes a braid structure that extends around an outersurface of the structure. An object need not be completely covered by abraid structure to be considered overbraided. Rather, an object that isoverbraided includes a seamless braided structure that extends around aportion of the object. As an object is overbraided, strands aredeposited along an outer surface of the object.

An object is overbraided as the object passes through the braidingpoint. The braiding point is defined as the point or area whereplurality of strands 104 consolidate to form a braided structure. Asplurality of strands 104 approach the braiding point, the distancebetween each of the strands is diminished. As the distance between thestrands reduces, the strands from the different spools intermesh orbraid with one another in a tighter fashion. The braiding point refersto an area where the desired tightness or strand density has beenachieved on the braiding machine.

Plurality of strands 104 may be formed of different materials. Theproperties that a particular strand will impart to an area of a braidedstructure depend on the materials that form the various filaments andfibers within the strands. For example, the filaments may be formed ofcotton. Cotton may provide a soft hand, natural aesthetics as well asbiodegradability. Other embodiments may include elastane or stretchpolyester. In still further embodiments, nylon may be incorporated.Nylon is a durable, abrasion-resistant material with relatively highstrength that may be incorporated into areas of an article that are morelikely to be exposed to high stress or scraping than other areas.Polyester may be incorporated due to its hydrophobic nature. Forexample, a waterproof or water-resistant article may incorporatepolyester. Additionally, various materials may be utilized for sweatremoval or wicking. The materials chosen may also include propertiesthat permit the material to melt or bond to various components. Forexample, the materials may include thermoplastic or thermoset materialsas well as other heat-activated materials. Additionally, other materialsmay be utilized for various material properties. In addition tomaterial, other aspects of the strand may be altered to affect theproperties of the braided structure. For example, a strand may includemonofilament or multifilament thread. The strand may also includeseparate filaments that are formed of different materials, such asbicomponent strands.

The following figures depict methods and apparatuses used to form anarticle of headgear (e.g., a hat) using a hat form. In some embodiments,an article of headgear may be formed in conjunction with a braidingmachine. As described in further detail below, hat form 100 may bepassed through braiding machine 102. To assist in clearly depicting themethod used to form an article incorporating a braided component,braiding machine 102 is depicted without spools or a support structurein the figures. Although depicted without a support structure or spools,it should be recognized that braiding machine 102 as well as otherbraiding machines depicted in this detailed description may includespools or other known provisions used in overbraiding or other kinds ofbraiding processes.

Referring to FIG. 1, hat form 100, also referred to simply as “form”100, may be further comprised of first side 120 and second side 130.Moreover, each side has the geometry of a hat, with the two sides beingapproximately symmetric about central plane 140 of hat form 100. Inparticular, first side 120 has first crown portion 122. In someembodiments, first side 120 also includes first bill portion 124connected to first crown portion 122. Also, second side 130 includessecond crown portion 132. In some embodiments, second side 130 alsoincludes second bill portion 134 connected to second crown portion 132.In some embodiments, first crown portion 122 and second crown portion132 may be approximately aligned. Alternatively, in other embodiments,hat form 100 may only include opposing crown portions without any billportions. Such a form may be useful in manufacturing caps without visorsor brims.

Taken together, first crown portion 122 and second crown portion 132form a “double crown portion” of hat form 100. In some embodiments,first bill portion 124 and second bill portion 134 may be approximatelyaligned. Taken together, first bill portion 124 and second bill portion134 form a “double bill portion” of hat form 100. Moreover, the doublecrown portion and double bill portion provide a double hat form that canbe used to make two articles of headgear simultaneously as an overbraidmatrix of strands are applied to hat form 100.

In some embodiments, first side 120 and second side 130 may beintegrally formed, as seen in the enlarged cross-sectional view of hatform 100 shown in FIG. 1. In some cases, first side 120 and second side130 may be formed of a single monolithic material, such as wood,plastic, or metal. In other embodiments, first side 120 and second side130 may be fixedly attached, for example, using fasteners or adhesives.

As seen in FIG. 1, the opposing crown portions and bill portions of hatform 100 may be separated by central gap 150 that extends around theperimeter of hat form 100 (and approximately within central plane 140).In some cases, this gap may facilitate the cutting or separation of afirst braided hat and a second braided hat that may be formed byoverbraiding onto hat form 100. Alternatively, in other embodiments,central gap 150 may be absent so that first crown portion 122 connectscontinuously with second crown portion 132 and so that first billportion 124 connects continuously with second bill portion 134.

Although hat form 100 is shown with the double bill portion orientedtoward braiding machine 102, it may be understood that hat form 100could be fed in bill first (i.e., in the direction shown) or crown first(i.e., in an opposite direction to that shown in FIG. 1). In still otherembodiments, hat form 100 could be oriented at any other angle as it'spassed through braiding machine 102.

In FIG. 1, hat form 100 is shown without any additional provisions.However, in some embodiments, provisions can be included that helpretain threads on hat form 100 as hat form 100 passes through braidingmachine 102. In some embodiments, a light adhesive layer could beapplied to some or all of the outer surface of hat form 100. In anotherembodiment, an additional layer with a higher coefficient of friction(relative to the threads) could be used. In some cases, a thindeformable outer layer could be used. In some cases, a thin rubber layercould be used. As an example, FIG. 9 depicts an embodiment where hatform 900 is covered with thin rubber layer 902. As hat form 900 ispushed through braiding machine 910, thin rubber layer 902 deformsslightly and retains threads 912. This may help limit the movement ofthreads along the surface of a hat form.

In some embodiments, one or more elements may be added to a hat formprior to (or during) overbraiding. In some embodiments, a band (e.g.,sweat band) could be applied around each crown portion of a hat form. Insome embodiments, a bill-reinforcing member could be applied againsteach bill portion.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of hat form 100 in which band 202 and billreinforcing member 204 are applied to first side 120. Specifically, band202 is configured to be wrapped around first crown portion 122. Also,bill reinforcing member 204 is configured to be placed against firstbill portion 124. In some cases, an adhesive could be used totemporarily hold band 202 and/or bill reinforcing member 204 in place onhat form 100.

As hat form 100 is placed through braiding machine 102 (see FIG. 1),both band 202 and bill reinforcing member 204 may also be overbraided.Moreover, in some cases band 202 and/or bill reinforcing member 204could be retained on the final braided hat. In some cases, an adhesivecould be applied to the outer sides of band 202 and/or bill reinforcingmember 204 so that as threads are applied around hat form 100, band 202and/or bill reinforcing member 204 remain attached when the finalbraided article of headgear is removed from hat form 100.

In another embodiment, depicted in FIG. 3, hat form 300 includesrecesses to receive band 302 and bill reinforcing member 304. Inparticular, hat form 300 includes first band recess 310 for receivingband 302 and first bill recess 312 for receiving bill reinforcing member304. Moreover, it may be appreciated that second side 330 of hat form300 also includes second band recess 320 and a second bill recess (notvisible in FIG. 3). Such recesses may allow bands, reinforcing members,and/or other elements to be retained on a hat form with little to noadhesive. Additionally, these provisions may help smooth out the outersurface of the final braided article, limiting bulges that might beformed in the regions associated with bands, bill reinforcing members,or other elements.

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate schematic views of a method of making articles ofheadgear (e.g., hats) using a hat form and a braiding machine, accordingto an embodiment. In FIGS. 4-5, as hat form 100 passes through thebraiding point of braiding machine 102, strands from plurality ofstrands 104 are deposited along an outer surface of hat form 100. Inthis manner, hat form 100 may be overbraided by plurality of strands104, forming braided layer 402. Moreover, using this overbraidingprocess, the strands that are laid down as part of braided layer 402 arecontinuous and span across multiple regions or portions of the finalbraided part. In some embodiments, strands extend continuously acrossboth the double bill portion and the double crown portion of a hat form.As seen in FIGS. 4-5, any supplemental structures disposed on hat form100 may be overbraided as well (e.g., band 202).

As seen in FIG. 5, with hat form 100 pushed completely through braidingmachine 102, continuous tube 406 of the braided matrix continues fromhat form 100 back to the braiding point of braiding machine 102. Thus,in some cases, the process may require cutting continuous tube 406 toseparate hat form 100 and braided layer 402 from braiding machine 102.For purposes of illustration, front portion 404 of braided layer 402,disposed along the double bill portion of hat form 100 is shown ashaving a closed structure. However, in some cases, front portion 404 maybe open like the rear portion is open adjacent continuous tube 406.

Once a hat form has been completely overbraided and separated fromstrands still attached to a braiding machine, a next step in makingarticles of headgear includes cutting and removing the resulting braidedstructure from the hat form. Therefore, in some embodiments, pluralityof strands 104 (now part of braided layer 402) may be cut so that thebraided matrix can be removed from hat form 100 for additionalprocessing. As seen in FIG. 6, braided layer 402 may be cut along a pathadjacent central gap 150. In some embodiments, shears or blade 602 maybe used to cut plurality of strands 104. In other embodiments, lasersmay be utilized. In still further embodiments, heat may be used to meltplurality of strands 104 to assist in the removal of braided layer 402from hat form 100.

This step may result in the formation of two separate braidedstructures: first braided hat 610 and second braided hat 620 that havebeen formed on opposing sides of hat form 100. Thus, it may be seen thatthe use of a hat form with a double crown portion and a double billportion provides two separate braided hats once the overbraided layer(or braid matrix) has been cut and separated from the hat form.

It may be appreciated that the steps illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 anddescribed above may be used for any embodiments of a hat form, includingembodiments with band and/or reinforcing member recesses (such as theembodiment depicted in FIG. 3). That is, different embodiments of a hatform may generally be overbraided over using a braiding machine and theresulting braid structure may be cut or otherwise separated into twodistinct braided hats and removed from the hat form. Furthermore, asdescribed in further detail below, some embodiments may comprise abraided structure with two or more braided layers (formed by passing aform through a braiding machine twice). In such embodiments, both layerscan be separated simultaneously from a hat form in a similar manner tothe method described here and shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic view of a step of finishing one or morebraided hats according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, firstbraided hat 610 and second braided hat 620 are shown. In this example,second braided hat 620 has been completely finished while first braidedhat 610 is partially finished.

In some embodiments, the edges of first braided hat 610 and/or secondbraided hat 620 may comprise free thread ends 762 that may be subject toloosening or fraying if left exposed. In some embodiments, a trim orfinishing edge may be applied to cover and/or fix free thread ends 702in place. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, finishing edge 750 has beenapplied to lower peripheral edge 612 of first braided hat 610. Also,finishing edge 752 has been applied to lower peripheral edge 622 ofsecond braided hat 620.

In different embodiments, edges can be finished in different ways. Insome embodiments, edges can be finished by melting or otherwise fusingthe free thread ends of a braided structure. In other embodiments, oneor more pieces of a finishing material can be laid down on an edge.Exemplary materials that could be used include, but are not limited to,thermoplastic urethane (TPU), leather, synthetic leather as well asother kinds of materials. In some cases, finishing materials could bebonded to an edge using an adhesive. In other cases, heat and/orpressure could be applied to fuse a finishing material to an edge of abraided structure. In still other embodiments, the edges of a hat couldbe created by embroidering or knitting additional threads along theedge. Such embroidery or knit threads can help lock the free threads ofa braided structure in place and also provide a finished look to theedges.

In some embodiments, the density of a braided structure could be variedby changing the speed at which a hat form is pushed through a braidingmachine. Such provisions could allow for a front part of a hat to have ahigher density braid than the rear part of the hat. This may be usefulsince it may be desirable to add additional embroidery or otherstitching (e.g., adding embroidered logos) to the front of the hat. Anexemplary process is depicted in the flow chart of FIG. 8. In first step802, a first portion (e.g., front portion of the double crown portion)of a hat form is moved at a first speed through a braiding machine toform a portion of the resulting braided matrix with a first density.Next, in step 804, a second portion (e.g., rear portion of the doublecrown portion) of a hat form is moved at a second speed through abraiding machine to form a portion of the resulting braided matrix witha second density. If the first speed is slower than the second speed,this will result in a higher first density compared to the seconddensity. Moreover, this process can be utilized at any location suchthat the speed of overbraiding (or the rate at which a hat form ispushed through the braided machine) is changed at any predeterminedlocation to change the density of the resulting braided matrix.

In another embodiment, illustrated schematically in FIGS. 10-12, a hatform could be passed through a braiding machine twice in order to formhats with two layers (e.g., an inner layer and an outer layer). As seenin FIG. 10, the process may begin by pushing hat form 100 throughbraiding machine 102 in a first pass so that inner braid layer 1002 islaid down on hat form 100. In some embodiments, following the formationof a first braided layer, one or more supplemental structures (e.g.,bands, reinforcing members, etc.) could be applied to inner braid layer1002. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 11, bands 1102 andreinforcing members 1104 are placed against inner braid layer 1002.Next, as seen in FIG. 12, hat form 100 (covered with inner braided layer1002) is pushed back through braiding machine 102 to apply outer braidlayer 1202 over inner braid layer 1002. In some cases, a hat form ispushed through a braiding machine in a first direction to form the innerlayer and then the hat form is pushed through the braiding machine in asecond direction (opposite to the first) to form the outer layer. Insome embodiments, the inner layer and the outer layer may be continuous,such that at least one strand extends through both the inner layer andthe outer layer. This process allows for the two layer hats. Usingadditional layers may increase the strength and/or durability of thehats in some cases. In addition, in some cases, using two layers allowssweat bands, reinforcing members, and/or other components to be disposedbetween an inner and outer braided layer. Such a configuration may helpkeep these components in place and help reduce wear. Alternatively, inanother embodiment, some components could be disposed between an innerand outer layer, while other components could be disposed on an innermost surface (e.g., a surface in contact with a head) of the finalbraided product.

FIGS. 13-16 illustrate schematic views of a method and system formanufacturing braided hats that have bills with two layers. Referring toFIG. 13, hat form 1300 may be similar in some respects to hat form 100described above and shown, for example, in FIG. 1. For example, hat form1300 includes double crown portion 1302 and double bill portion 1304.However, in contrast to hat form 100, the double bill portion of hatform 1300 is comprised of first bill portion 1310, first underbillportion 1312, second bill portion 1320, and second underbill portion1322. In this case, first bill portion 1310 and second bill portion 1320are configured to form upper braided layers of corresponding bills, andfirst underbill portion 1312 and second underbill portion 1322 areconfigured to form lower braided layers of corresponding bills.

As seen in FIG. 13, hat form 1300 may be moved through braiding machine102 to form a braided structure around hat form 1300. The braidedstructure may be separated into two separate braided hats by cutting,melting, or another process. As an example, FIG. 14 is a top-downschematic view of an embodiment of first braided hat structure 1402 thathas been formed. First braided hat structure 1402 includes braided crownportion 1410, braided over peak bill portion 1412, and braided underpeak bill portion 1414.

It may be appreciated that braided over peak bill portion 1412 andbraided under peak bill portion 1414 are formed continuously as hat form1300 passes through braiding machine 102. Thus, as seen in FIG. 14,first braided strand 1430 extends continuously from braided over peakbill portion 1412 to braided under peak bill portion 1414, with firststrand portion 1440 disposed in braided over peak bill portion 1412 andsecond strand portion 1442 disposed in braided under peak bill portion1414.

FIGS. 15-16 illustrate optional finishing steps for making a braided hatwith an under peak bill portion and an over peak bill portion. First, asseen in FIG. 15, braided under peak bill portion 1414 may be foldedbeneath braided over peak bill portion 1412. In some embodiments, anoptional bill reinforcing member could be placed between the billportions before folding. Next, in FIG. 16, finishing edge 1652 may beapplied to lower periphery 1602 of braided hat 1600. Finishing edge 1652is shown schematically in FIG. 16 and could comprise any of the methodsdiscussed above for finishing edge 752, such as application of a TPU orhotmelt layer to sandwich the edges of the bill portion. In some cases,finishing edge 1652 may be used to fix braided under peak bill portion1414 in place beneath braided over peak bill portion 1412.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate schematic views of a braided article ofheadgear, or simply article 1700, according to an embodiment. Article1700 may be formed using the overbraiding process described above andshown, for example, in FIGS. 4-7. For purposes of illustration, onlysome sections of braided construction 1750 of article 1700 are shown inFIGS. 17 and 18. However, it may be appreciated that the braidedconstruction may comprise the entirety of the article in someembodiments. Additionally, though not shown here, some embodiments couldinclude different regions of different braid densities. In some cases,regions of different braid densities could be formed using the processdescribed above and shown in FIG. 8. Also, some embodiments couldinclude two or more braided layers.

Referring to FIG. 17, article 1700 includes crown 1702 and bill 1704.Crown 1702 may further be associated with coronal plane 1710 andsagittal plane 1714. Crown 1702 further includes front portion 1720disposed generally forward of coronal plane 1710 and rear portion 1722disposed opposite of front portion 1720 such that rear portion 1722 isdisposed generally rearward of coronal plane 1710. Crown 1702 furthercomprises left side portion 1724 disposed on one side of sagittal plane1714, and right side portion 1726 disposed opposite of left side portion1724, on the other side of sagittal plane 1714.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, strands of braidedconstruction 1750 are seen to extend continuously across multipleportions of crown 1702. For example, as seen in FIG. 18, strand 1802extends continuously from left side portion 1724 to right side portion1726 of article 1700.

In FIG. 18, left side portion 1724 is seen to further comprise left baseportion 1840 disposed proximate band 1805. Also, right side portion 1726is seen to further comprise right base portion 1842 disposed proximateband 1805. Moreover, strand 1802 is seen to extend continuously fromleft base portion 1840 to right base portion 1842.

As seen in FIG. 18, second strand 1804 extends continuously from leftside portion 1724 to right side portion 1726. Moreover, as seen in FIG.18, second strand 1804 is shorter than strand 1802 due to its distinctposition and path along crown 1702.

As seen in FIG. 18, third strand 1806 extends continuously from bill1704 to left side portion 1724 of crown 1702. Moreover, fourth strand1808 also extends continuously from bill 1704 to left side portion 1724,where fourth strand 1808 is slightly shorter than third strand 1806.

It may be appreciated that the features described for braidedconstruction 1750 could also apply to headgear with multiple layers. Forexample, in some embodiments with two layers (e.g., the hat shown inFIG. 12), each layer may include at least one strand that extendscontinuously between sides of the hat. Also, in some cases, a singlestrand could extend continuously between the inner layer and the outerlayer.

The exemplary embodiments provide articles of headgear (e.g., hats) witha continuous construction across different sides of the article. Thus,braided strands may extend from one side (e.g., left to right, or frontto back) in a continuous manner to improve uniformity and limitdetachment between sections, or panels, of a hat that might otherwise bestitched or glued together. This more uniform construction may also helpimprove fit and comfort as the various parts of the hat uniformly adaptto the shape and size of a wearer's head.

While various embodiments have been described, the description isintended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments andimplementations are possible that are within the scope of theembodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restrictedexcept in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also,various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of theattached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An article of headgear having a crown; the crownhaving coronal plane, a transverse plane and a sagittal plane, thearticle of headgear comprising: the crown with an interior void sizedand configured to receive a wearer's head; the crown comprising a frontportion disposed generally forward of the coronal plane and a rearportion disposed opposite the front portion, the rear portion disposedgenerally rearward of the coronal plane; the crown comprising a leftside portion disposed on one side of the sagittal plane, and a rightside portion disposed opposite the left side portion, on the other sideof the sagittal plane; the crown comprising a braided construction withat least one strand; the strand extending continuously from the leftside portion to the right side portion.
 2. The article of headgearaccording to claim 1, wherein the crown includes a band disposedproximate an opening to the interior void; wherein the left side portionincludes a left base portion disposed proximate the band; wherein theright side portion includes a right base portion disposed proximate theband; and wherein the strand extends continuously from the left baseportion to the right base portion.
 3. The article of headgear accordingto claim 1, further comprising a bill attached to the crown.
 4. Thearticle of headgear according to claim 3, wherein the strand extendscontinuously from the bill to the left side portion.
 5. The article ofheadgear according to claim 3, wherein the strand extends continuouslyfrom an under peak portion of the bill to an over peak portion of thebill.
 6. The article of headgear according to claim 1, furthercomprising a second strand; wherein the second strand is spaced from thestrand; the second strand extending continuously from the left sideportion to the right side portion; and wherein the second strand isshorter than the strand.
 7. The article of headgear according to claim6, further comprising a bill attached to the crown; and wherein thesecond strand extends continuously from the bill to the left sideportion.
 8. A hat form used to create an article of headgear, the hatform comprising: a first side and a second side opposite the first side,wherein the first side is integrally formed with the second side; thefirst side including a first crown portion; the second side including asecond crown portion; wherein the first crown portion generally alignswith the second crown portion, thereby forming a double hat form; andwherein the hat form is configured to be fed into a braid machine andreceive an overbraided matrix of strands on its outer surface.
 9. Thehat form according to claim 8, wherein the first side includes a firstbill portion connected to the first crown portion.
 10. The hat formaccording to claim 9, wherein the second side includes a second billportion connected to the second crown portion.
 11. The hat formaccording to claim 10, wherein the first bill portion generally alignswith the second bill portion.
 12. The hat form according to claim 9,wherein the first bill portion includes a first underbill portionextending from the first bill portion.
 13. The hat form according toclaim 10, wherein the second bill portion includes a second underbillportion extending from the second bill portion.
 14. An article ofheadgear having a crown; the crown having coronal plane, a transverseplane and a sagittal plane, the article of headgear comprising: thecrown with an interior void sized and configured to receive a wearer'shead; the crown comprising a front portion disposed generally forward ofthe coronal plane and a rear portion disposed opposite the frontportion, the rear portion disposed generally rearward of the coronalplane; the crown comprising a left side portion disposed on one side ofthe sagittal plane, and a right side portion disposed opposite the leftside portion, on the other side of the sagittal plane; the crowncomprising an inner braid layer and an outer braid layer.
 15. Thearticle of headgear according to claim 14, wherein the inner braid layerincludes a strand strand extending continuously from the left sideportion to the right side portion.
 16. The article of headgear accordingto claim 14, wherein the outer braid layer includes a strand strandextending continuously from the left side portion to the right sideportion.
 17. The article of headgear according to claim 14, wherein thearticle of headgear includes a reinforcing member disposed between theinner braid layer and the outer braid layer.
 18. The article of headgearaccording to claim 14, wherein the inner braid layer includes at leastone strand and wherein the at least one strand extends continuously fromthe inner braid layer to the outer braid layer.
 19. The article ofheadgear according to claim 14, further comprising a bill attached tothe crown.
 20. The article of headgear according to claim 19, whereinthe inner braid layer and the outer braid layer extend through the bill.